Even though WorldCon is the biggest annual gathering of SF fans and professionals in the world, it does not always offer academic programming. This year, Gunn Center Director Chris McKitterickwas asked to put together an academic track on behalf of the Center. So, rather than host a separate Campbell Conference with WorldCon just a month later in neighboring Kansas City - thus forcing out-of-town guests to choose one or the other - we decided to combine the two. Our regular attendees and award winners gain the opportunity to be part of the biggest SF event of the year while still celebrating the Campbell Awardand Sturgeon Award. And WorldCon attendees gain a taste of the Campbell Conference.

Using MidAmeriCon's theme of "Tomorrow Is Now," we'll discuss the current state and future of science fiction. There are more than 35 presentations on topics from Defiance to Heinlein and everything in between. In addition, we also plan to hold our usual round-table discussion and have a charity auction. The silent auction will be Wednesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the live auction will be Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Proceeds from the auction will benefit AboutSF, the educational outreach branch of the Gunn Center, and Pulse Victims Fund, which supports the victims of the shooting at Orlando’s Pulse Nightclub. The benefit auction is currently accepting donated items for the sale. Donors can bring the items to the auction until Saturday afternoon and a tax-deductible receipt will be printed for you. The round-table discussion will be Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 10:45, with James Gunn, Gregory Benford, Elizabeth Bear, and others. The discussion will revolve around how the Golden Age of SF shaped the present world and the current state of science fiction as well as how today's science fiction might affect the future. And of course, we'll celebrate the winners of the John W. Campbell Memorial Awardfor best SF novel and the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Awardfor best short SF, and host a reception on Thursday night for our winning guests of honor. The reception will have hors d’oeuvres for more than 200 people and a cash bar. For more information on any of these events, please visit http://www.sfcenter.ku.edu/campbell-conference.htm or https://midamericon2.org.

Welcome to the Gunn Center for the Study of Science Fiction's Summer Workshops! This post should give you all the info you need to have the best possible time during your stay here; if you need anything more (which isn't covered in your specific Google Group discussion forum), let us know and we'll add it. Feel free to check out older posts here to get an idea of how things have gone in the past, as well as other Center news stuff. We've posted this here so you can easily find this info wherever you are, so we can easily update it, and y'all can respond in a single place as opposed to digging around in the variouis Google Groups' messages. If you haven't yet joined the appropriate Google Group(s) or the invitation got lost, let us know.

Hall Check-in: If it's like in prior years, go to Rieger Scholarship Hall, just north of Krehbiel, to check in (a student-worker is often on hand the first day). There you'll get your keycard, key, and internet password IF YOU ASK. Sometimes they make us go up the hill to another building to check in, so watch your Group messages for details and updates

If you arrive during the daytimeand no one's around, call the number on the door to check in. They'll have your name and room reservation info... except for those who haven't yet sent us that info. Be sure to let Kij know when you plan to check in so Housing can have staff on hand. On the evening of Sunday, June 5, we'll have a get-together at about 6:00pm in the kitchen or lobby of Rieger Scholarship Hall (also where we'll meet for the Workshops), and we'll order food and have soda and such on hand. We'll probably also invite some local SF writers to hang with us so you can get to know some other "Young Gunns" (Workshop alums).

Many of the scholarship-hall rooms have a kitchen area with cupboards, sink, and counter tops. There's space for a microwave, too, and there's one for the main kitchen area. Beyond that, it's pretty basic. We have several boxes of additional stuff we store for y'all to use: coffee pot, toaster, ice chest, hangers, some sheets and pillows, etc., plus I'll bring a pile of SF books, magazines, movies, and other goodies.

Looking for a roommate? Write to your Google Group or post here ASAP so you can make proper housing arrangements. As of Friday, May 20, it will be too late to make room changes, so if someone decides they’re rooming together, Kij needs that by then.

Short Story Workshop: We're fast approaching the May 18 deadline for submitting your three stories or two novellas, so be sure to finish them soon and send them to everyone via our Google Groups site (email or post to web) so your fellow workshoppers can begin reading!

Novel Workshop: Kij and y'all should have your chapters and outlines now. Be sure to watch the Google Groups discussions!

Advanced (aka "Repeat Offenders") Workshops: These are custom-tailored to the attendees, so stay involved in your Google Group.

Internet Access: The scholarship hall is equipped with WiFi, so you’ll have internet access if you ask. Information on login procedures will be provided to you at check-in IF YOU ASK - if you want internet access in the schol-hall (and you might not; freedom from distraction has a lot of value), don't leave check-in without your login information. Also, many cafés, bars, coffee shops, some campus locations, and bookstores in Lawrence have free wireless access. Here is a pretty complete listing; go here for another.

Workshop Meeting Schedule and Location: We'll meet in various spaces in the same place where our out-of-town attendees live, Rieger Scholarship Hall at 1323 Ohio Street, from 1:00pm - 5:00pm (sometimes we wrap up a little later, sometimes earlier) each weekday. However, Andy Duncan, James Gunn, Kij Johnson, Chris McKitterick, and many of the Workshoppers often first lunch together at noon at the KU Memorial Union, just up the hill.

Evenings: We usually gather in the lobby or front porch at 6:00pm and head downtown for dinner and a stroll through the streets of Lawrence. At night, people usually gather in our lobby space to talk, write, watch SF movies and discuss them afterward, have Nerf battles, watch thunderstorms... you can be as deeply immersed in connecting and events or as focused on writing as you wish - or both.

If you're staying in the hall, you'll get an access card; if you're a local, we'll either get you an access card or make sure you can get into the hall before 1:00pm.

On one of our last evenings, we're hoping to set up a local public reading as a professional way to conclude to the Workshops.

Workshop Web Pages: What follows is all kinds of information to help you prepare. You'll also find lots of useful info about travel, restaurants, and so on at these pages:

Three-time Nebula Award (among others) winner Kij Johnson, who runs the Novel Workshop, will be hanging out to talk writing most evenings, having lunch with us most days, and dining downtown with the gang most evenings.

Multiple award-winner Andy Duncan returns to the Workshop for week two, critiquing each workshopper's final story and revision. He's also staying on-site at the schol-hall.

SF Grand Master James Gunn will not only join the Workshop for the first week, but also for lunch many days and hopefully some dinners, as well.

In addition to leading the short-fiction critique sessions, Chris McKitterick will also be on-hand for lunch, dinner, evening activities, and so forth.

Phone: Bring a cell phone!

Sheets and linens: We have a bunch of sets of sheets, pillows, and blankets that we store, available on a first-grabbed, first-taken basis (in the 2nd floor hallway). However, until we have enough sets for everyone (mostly via donations!), it might be best to bring your own long-twin sets as well as blankets, a soft mattress pad, towels, a nice pillow, and wash clothes. The blanket is for if you get chilled at night; the rooms have their own thermostats, but it's a good idea just in case. Yeah, I know it's summer in Kansas, but just ask some previous years' participants about over-active AC.... Most years, one or more participants leave behind a set of these supplies, so pretty soon we'll have enough for everyone.

Lunches: You aren't required to buy lunch meal plans, though restaurants are nearby, so we usually lunch together at noon (right before the workshops) at the KU Memorial Union, only two blocks up the hill (look for the "today's events" sheets posted around).

Dinners: We usually do an "around-the-world" restaurant tour of Lawrence. We have a million great eateries in town (see this page, this page, or this page for info about many of them), and the majority of the workshoppers (plus the writers-in-residence) get together every night for dinner. If you prefer to eat more economically, plan to bring your own cooler and/or dorm fridge. We'll supply a small fridge or two for use in the lobby, but that is not always enough. The schol-hall has an ice/water machine, a microwave, and a large fridge; we supply a hot-water pot for things like tea, plus a coffee-pot or two. Lawrence also has many supermarkets within a few minutes' drive (or a long walk) from the hall - including a whole-foods place about a mile away - so you can stock up once you get here.

You're responsible for cleaning up your own dishware (and messes).

Beverages: We'll bring a dorm fridge you can keep in the lobby area or in designated rooms - and we'll supply a starter supply of soda-pop, tea, and such. The main kitchen area has a large refrigerator, ice machine, and teapots. Beyond that, it's up to you to keep it stocked with your preferred beverages!

Entertainment: Lawrence, a college town, is full-up with entertainment. You'll find live bands aplenty (see this page for info), and much more. If people are interested, I'm happy to host movie nights. I'll bring dozens of SF films (and a Blu-Ray/DVD player) to the dorm. Bring your own offbeat favorite movies if you want (a couple of years ago, Jean provided the complete, original Flash Gordon!). We also have a multiplex theater in town, plus an art-house theater (theater listings here). It's a college town, so you'll find many bars of all types if that's your thing, plus multiple restaurants of every type, several bookstores (new and used), museums, bicycle paths, lakes, rivers.... Check out Lawrence.com for listings of these attractions.

Printing: Is anyone bringing a printer? Would you mind sharing it with the others while you're here if, say, they provide a toner or ink cartridge? We have a good Office Depot that should carry what you need. We store a couple of old printers that were donated years ago, but can't guarantee operation. There is a FedEx Kinko's downtown, too.

Clothing: Dress is whatever you find comfy! Be aware that outside temps will likely be in the 80s and 90s most of the time, but might dip into the 60s at night or during thunderstorms or 100s during a heatwave. Sometimes, our dorm A/C has gone crazy and we've been cold, so if you get cold easily, bring a sweatshirt and long pants, just in case. Other times, the space doesn't get enough cooling. Plan for what makes you most comfortable! There also a full-featured laundry room on-site (looks like it might use a card system this year; check your Google Group for updates).

Getting Around: Kij and I both have cars and scooters, so we'll have at least one car that can carry 4-5 people. Who else will have a vehicle here? On the plus side, the scholarship hall is a short walk downtown for those able to walk. If you're driving, you might find the University of Kansas maps page useful: http://admissions.ku.edu/visit/maps.shtml

Also, if you haven't already worked out transport from the Kansas City airport to Lawrence, now's the time to do so. The airport is about 50 miles from KU. If you're driving, or if you would like to share a ride or a shuttle, drop a note to the group on our Google Groups site. There's a lot of ways to get here listed on the Workshop pages, and we'll discuss in emails as well.

Of course, if you arrive via train or bus, you'll need to get a taxi or Uber, arrange something with a local, or plan to walk a mile or so with all your stuff. Here's the Yelp taxi list.

We have all manner of stores in Lawrence, so if you don’t have something that you'll need while here (including sheets, pillows, scuba gear, and so on), it's a short drive to go get it.

Some people like to send a box of stuff to me rather than carry things on an airplane. That's fine.( Use my home addressCollapse )Please no signature-required boxes! Be sure to mail enough in advance so things arrive before you do.

Tuition and Housing Checks: Fees for all the Workshops should be in the mail soon if you haven't sent them already. If you've made other arrangements for payment, bring it with you to hand off when you arrive. (Those taking the Workshop for KU credit need only give us the $100 guest-author fee, unless we agreed to waive it as a partial scholarship.)

Anything else? Let us know and we'll add it!

We're all very much looking forward to meeting those of you we haven't yet met and seeing old friends again!

Best,Chris

PS: If you don’t already have a LiveJournal account - yes, some people weren't online when it was big - you can sign up and get one for free by just going to the LJ main page. You can also use some other online profiles to post here.

“Rather than host a separate Campbell Conference with WorldCon just a month later in neighboring Kansas City, thus forcing out-of-town guests to choose one or the other,” McKitterick said, “we decided to combine the two.”

The second book in Gunn’s trilogy, “Transgalactic” is the first sequel he’s ever written. The end of the first novel, “Transcendental,” leaves Ahsa and Riley on two different planets after using the matter transmission device known as the Transcendental Machine. Unaware of each other’s destination, and in a galaxy with billions of planets, the task of finding each other seems impossible. Yet, if they succeed, they know they can change the galaxy.

The event is free and open to the public. “Transgalactic” is published by Tor Books and is available now.

T.A. (Tom) Shippey is retiring after more than 40 years of serving on the Campbell Award jury. Paul Di Filippo is retiring from the jury after serving six years. The Gunn Center thanks both of these gentlemen for the time and effort they put forth during their tenure on the jury.

The award was created to honor the late editor of Astounding Science Fiction magazine, now named Analog. Campbell, who edited the magazine from 1937 until his death in 1971, is called by many writers and scholars the father of modern science fiction. Writers and critics Harry Harrison and Brian W. Aldiss established the award in Campbell's name as a way of continuing his efforts to encourage writers to produce their best possible work.

Gunn is in elite company with Theodore Sturgeon, H.G. Wells, Isaac Asimov and others. The 2015 induction class also includes writer Kurt Vonnegut, filmmaker Georges Méliès, and artists John Schoenherr and Jack Gaughan.

“Twenty years ago, when Robin Wayne Bailey came to me and said science fiction needs a hall of fame,” Gunn said at the induction ceremony, “it never occurred to me that I would be standing here in Seattle joining this illustrious group.”

Gunn’s career spans eight decades, starting in the 1940s, and he’s not done yet. Two brand new short stories have just been accepted for publication. “New Earth” will be published in “Asimov’s Science Fiction,” and “Saving the World” will be published in “Analog Science Fiction and Fact.” It seems fitting that in the year Gunn enters the hall of fame “Analog” will publish one of his short stories. When the magazine began in the 1930s, it was known as “Astounding Stories,” and was one of the first to publish Gunn’s writing.

Among the honors bestowed upon Gunn are the Pilgrim Award from the Science Fiction Research Association and the Grand Master Award from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. He is a past president of both organizations. Gunn said the hall of fame induction is a signal honor.

“I've had a great many honors in the science-fiction world,” Gunn said, “and this represents the final honor to wind up a career.”

But don’t take that quote to mean his career is over by any stretch of the imagination. Gunn’s most recently published novel, “Transcendental,” is the first in a trilogy. The sequel, “Transgalactic,” is on the way, and he just received a contract for the third volume.

“I feel that writing is what I do," Gunn said, "and as long as I can do it well enough that publishers are willing to publish it, I will continue to do what has brought a central core of meaning to my life.”

“It’s this catalog of amazing names, and it’s good to be reminded of how many greats there’ve been,” North said. “I think it embodies the evolution, but also the continuity, of science fiction more than many [awards] out there.”

Doctorow is just the seventh person to win both the Campbell Award and the Sturgeon Award. Although Doctorow couldn’t be at the conference to accept the Sturgeon Award in person, he sent a video acceptance speech in which he said it was the first award for which his work was ever nominated. He also said receiving the award is an “incredible honor.”

“This honor means the world to me, especially because it came for this story,” Doctorow said, “which is a story that, to me, expresses the most sincere hope we can have about utopia. Not that one day we’ll come up with a system that works perfectly all the time, but that someday we may tell ourselves the right story so that when things go badly, we treat each other well instead of turning on each other with the conviction that our neighbors will turn on us if we don’t on them first.”

North and Doctorow both have lengthy resumes, but it’s not just experience and time that have brought them to the forefront of science fiction.

“I think there’s no point in trying to predict what will be successful,” North said. “No one knows what the next successful book is going to be. No one’s got a clue; if we did we’d all be millionaires! So, I think the key is to write what you love and hopefully that comes through in the text and other people will feel that joy as they read it.”

Campbell Conference contemplates future of Sci-Fi education School is out at the University of Kansas, but the discussion about education is still going strong. The 42nd annual Campbell Conference will starts tomorrow and will run through Sunday. This year’s theme is “From the Fringes to the Classroom: What’s Next in SF Education.” The conference will include ceremonies for the Campbell and Sturgeon awards, round-table discussions and a display of rare science-fiction books, papers and manuscripts.

“This conference is unique in being devoted to a topic that is just now being considered by a variety of educational institutions--new programs featuring science fiction, particularly degree programs, but also applications of science fiction to everyday problems,” said James Gunn, founding director of the KU Gunn Center for the Study of Science Fiction.

Many of the special guests will be discussing various science-fiction topics, including SF education. Lisa Yaszek, professor at the Georgia Tech University School of Literature, Media and Communication, will be the first speaker of the day on Saturday at 9 a.m.

“Georgia Tech was one of the first universities to offer science fiction classes for college credit,” Yaszek said, “but until recently the liberal arts have not been a major part of education at our institute.”

If you have never attended a conference like this, Gunn’s advice is to be ready to discuss your ideas and explore to new ones.

“I’m looking forward to sharing ideas, and maybe future interactions, with the people who are engaged in the most innovative projects around the country and the world,” Gunn said.

According to Fanac.org, the first science-fiction conferences and conventions were small gatherings and took place in the late 1930s. The close connections between authors, scholars and fans still exist today. That closeness is what Yaszek says makes the SF community great.

“Events like the Campbell Conference awards ceremony allow us to come together and to celebrate both the accomplishments of specific authors and the unique nature of our entire community,” Yaszek said.

She also believes that attendees of the conference will gain a new appreciation of science fiction as serious entertainment.

“That is, as a mode of storytelling that is seriously entertaining,” Yaszek said, “But also demands its readers seriously entertain new and sometimes very surprising ideas about the necessary relations of science, technology and society.”

Welcome to the Center for the Study of Science Fiction's Summer Workshops! This post should give you all the info you need to be ready for the Workshops; if you need anything more, let me know and I'll add it. Feel free to read older posts here to get an idea of how things have gone in the past. I've posted here so you can easily find this info wherever you are, I can easily update it, and y'all can respond in a single place as opposed to digging around in the Google Groups messages. I've also created Google Groups for the Workshops; if you haven't yet joined yet or the invitation got lost, let me know.

Check-in: Go to Rieger Scholarship Hall, just north of Krehbiel , to check in (a student-worker is supposed to be on hand 24 hours). There you'll get your keycard, key, and internet password IF YOU ASK.

Short Story Workshop: We're fast approaching the May 21 deadline for submitting your three stories or two novellas, so be sure to finish them soon and send them to everyone via our Google Groups site so your fellow workshoppers can begin reading!

Novel Workshop: Kij and y'all should have your chapters and outlines now. Be sure to watch the Google Groups discussions!

Internet Access: This year, the scholarship hall is equipped with WiFi, so you’ll have internet access. Information on login procedures will be provided to you at check-in IF YOU REMEMBER TO ASK. Also, many cafés, bars, coffee shops, some campus locations, and bookstores in Lawrence have free wireless access. Here is a pretty complete listing; go here for another.

Meeting Schedule and Location: We'll meet in the lobby on our new facility, Rieger Scholarship Hall at 1323 Ohio Street at 1:00pm - 5:00pm (sometimes we wrap up a little later, sometimes earlier) each weekday. However, Andy Duncan, James Gunn, Kij Johnson, Chris McKitterick, and many of the Workshoppers often first lunch together at noon at the KU Memorial Union, just up the hill.

In the evenings, we usually gather in the lobby at 6:00pm and head downtown for dinner and a stroll through the streets; at night, people usually gather in our lobby space to talk, write, watch SF movies, watch thunderstorms... you can be as deeply immersed as you want in either writing, connecting, or both.

If you're staying in the hall, you'll get an access card; if you're a local, we'll either get you an access card or make sure you can get into the hall before 1:00pm.

Our lasts Friday afternoon is the annual "Secrets of Successful Science Fiction" chat with our attending guest authors (and editors, if they're here) as the professional conclusion to the Workshops. That evening is the Campbell Conference Awards Ceremony. Don't forget that CSSF Science Fiction Summer workshoppers get free general admission to the Conference!

Workshop Web Pages: What follows is all kinds of information to help you prepare. You'll also find lots of useful info about travel, restaurants, and so on at these pages:

Three-time Nebula Award (among others) winner Kij Johnson, who runs the Novel Workshop, will be hanging out to talk writing every evening, having lunch with us most days, and dining downtown with the gang most evenings.

Multiple award-winner John Kessel returns to the Workshop for his first visit since his student days at KU! He joins us during the first weekend and will participate throughout Week Two, critiquing each workshopper's final story and revision. {C} He's also staying on-site at the ScholHall for the second week!

SF Grand Master James Gunn will not only join the Workshop for the first week, but also for lunch each day and some dinners, as well.

In addition to leading all the critique sessions, I'll also be on-hand for lunch, dinner, evening activities, and so forth.

And don't forget that this year's CSSF Science Fiction Summer attendees get free admission to the Campbell Conference! You still need to register, of course, and if you want to eat the lovely dinner during the Awards Banquet, that is not covered, but this is a $40-$45 savings!

Phone: Bring a cell phone!

Sheets and linens: You'll need to bring your own long-twin sets as well as blankets, towels, a pillow, and wash clothes; alternately, I have a bunch of sets that I store - they're available on a first-grabbed, first-taken basis (in the 2nd floor hallway). The blanket is for if you get chilled at night; the rooms have their own thermostats, but it's a good idea just in case. Yeah, I know it's summer in Kansas, but just ask some previous years' participants about over-active AC... (though this year, we can control our thermostats). Most years, one or more participants leave behind a set of these supplies, so pretty soon we'll have enough for everyone.

Lunches: You aren't required to buy lunch meal plans this year, though restaurants are nearby, so we usually lunch together at noon (right before the workshops) at the KU Memorial Union in one of the alcoves (look for the "today's events" sheets posted around).

Dinners: We usually do an "around-the-world" restaurant tour of Lawrence. We have a million great eateries in town (see this page, this page, or this page for info about many of them), and the majority of the workshoppers (plus the writers-in-residence) get together every night for dinner. If you prefer to eat more economically, plan to bring your own cooler and/or dorm fridge. I'll supply a small fridge or two for use in the lobby, but that is not always enough. The schol-hall has an ice/water machine, a microwave, and another fridge; we supply a hot-water pot for things like tea, plus a coffee-pot or two. Lawrence also has many supermarkets within a few minutes' drive (or a long walk) from the hall - including a whole-foods place about a mile away - so you can stock up once you get here.

Beverages: I'll bring a couple of dorm fridges you can keep in the lobby area or in designated rooms - and I'll supply a starter supply of a couple 12-packs of soda-pop, tea, and such. The main kitchen area has a large refrigerator, ice machine, and teapots. Beyond that, it's up to you to keep it stocked with your preferred beverages! Also, you're responsible for cleaning up your own dishware (and messes).

Hall Check-in: If you arrive during the daytime, call the number on the door to check in at Rieger (a student-worker is on hand 24 hours). There you'll get your keycard, key, and internet password IF YOU ASK. They'll have your name and room reservation info... except for those who haven't yet sent us that info. Be sure to let Lydia know when you plan to check in so they can have staff on hand. On the evening of Sunday, May 31, we'll have a get-together at about 6:00pm in the lobby of our floor of Rieger Scholarship Hall (also where we'll meet for the Workshops, next door to where we stayed last year), and we'll order pizza or such and have soda and such on hand. I'll probably also invite some local SF writers to hang with us so you can get to know some other "Young Gunns" - Workshop alums.

Plan to stay through the late afternoon or evening of June 16th, because the Center hosts the Campbell Conference right after the Workshops. That Sunday morning, we'll have time to listen to our guest authors (including the Campbell, Lifeboat, and Sturgeon winners, if they can make it) talk about their work, and starting at noon, local fan and Conference administrator Ruth Lichtwardt hosts an informal gathering at her house - everyone's invited. Haven't yet registered? Do it now - it's free for CSSF Science Fiction Summer registrants (except for the Awards dinner)! And if you had been planning to leave early and registered saying so, feel free to change your registration ASAP to reflect staying through Sunday.

Many of the scholarship-hall rooms have a kitchen area with cupboards, sink, and counter tops. There's space for a microwave, too, and there'll be one for the main kitchen area. Beyond that, it's pretty basic. I have several boxes of additional stuff that I store for y'all to use: coffee pot, toaster, ice chest, hangers, some sheets and pillows, etc., plus I'll bring a pile of SF and idea-generation magazines.

Looking for a room-mate? I suggest you write to your Google Group or post here ASAP so you can make proper housing arrangements with Lydia. As of Friday, May 20, it will be too late to make room changes, so if someone decides they’re rooming together, Lydia needs that by noon on Friday.

Entertainment: Lawrence, a college town, is full-up with entertainment. You'll find live bands aplenty (see this page for info), and much more. If people are interested, I'm happy to host movie nights. I'll bring dozens of SF films (and a Blu-Ray/DVD player) to the dorm. Bring your own offbeat favorite movies if you want (a couple of years ago, Jean provided the complete, original Flash Gordon!). We also have a multiplex theater in town, plus an art-house theater (theater listings here). It's a college town, so you'll find many bars of all types if that's your thing, plus multiple restaurants of every type, several bookstores (new and used), museums, bicycle paths, lakes, rivers.... Check out Lawrence.com for listings of these attractions.

Printing: Is anyone bringing a printer? Would you mind sharing it with the others while you're here if, say, they provide a toner or ink cartridge? We have a good Office Depot that should carry what you need. I have a couple of old printers that were donated a few years ago, but I can't guarantee operation. There is a FedEx Kinko's downtown, too.

Clothing: Dress is whatever you find comfy! Be aware that outside temps will likely be in the 80s and 90s most of the time, but might dip into the 60s at night or during thunderstorms. Sometimes, our dorm A/C has gone crazy and we've been cold, so if you get cold easily, bring a sweatshirt and long pants, just in case. Other times, the space doesn't get enough cooling. Plan for what makes you most comfortable! If you're going to the Campbell Conference Awards ceremony, many of the attendees use it as an opportunity to dress up. But it's your choice! There also a full-featured laundry room on-site (looks like it might use a card system this year; check your Google Group for updates).

Speculative Fiction Writing Workshop Readings: Please submit your work ASAP to the Google Groups file-sharing space, preferably in basic .doc format or Rich Text Format (.rtf) for ease of reading by multiple programs and operating systems - so everyone in the Workshop has a chance to critique them before we get started. Deadline for submitting your stories: May 20!

SF Workshop Critiques: Read and mark up (digitally or manually) the works well before you arrive so you can enjoy your stay and get some work done rather than having to stay up late crazily reading. James Gunn wrote a fine essay on "How to Be a Good Critiquer and Still Remain Friends." It's required reading! I recommend writing up and printing out formal critiques for the other authors to take away after the discussions. I have also posted more detailed critiquing guidelines via our Google Group.

Campbell Conference: If you plan to partake of the full Campbell Conference and haven't yet registered, let us know ASAP. It will be really amazing this year and well worth it - more special guests are planning to come than just those on the website right now. Here's the page with full info on the Conference, our special guests (to be updated regularly), and more. Sometimes, the year's special guests even stay in the dorm with us, so you'll have a chance to spend one-on-one time with some of our genre's finest authors and sometimes editors while you're here. At the very least, it's a cozy event where you'll have the opportunity for more elbow-rubbing with the pros than pretty much anywhere else.

Getting Around: Kij, recently hired as the new Fiction Writing Prof at KU, and I both have cars and scooters, so we'll have at least one car that can carry 4-5 people in style. Who else will have a vehicle here? On the plus side, now that we moved to the scholarship hall, we're close enough to walk most places downtown. If you're driving, you might find the University of Kansas maps page useful: http://admissions.ku.edu/visit/maps.shtml

Also, if you haven't already worked out transport from the Kansas City airport to Lawrence, now's the time to do so. The airport is about 50 miles from KU. If you're driving, or if you would like to share a ride or a shuttle, drop a note to the group on our Google Groups site.

The shuttles most people use to get to and from the Kansas City International (MCI) airport to Lawrence are:

There's a new, low-priced shuttle service now running. However, it's only low-priced if you share a ride with others. Check 'em out! More travel information here.

KCI Airport Shuttle (also known as the "Roadrunner Shuttle"). Full information here (scroll to the bottom of the page for rates). Toll-free phone contact number: (800) 747-2524 or call your travel agent.

Please no signature-required boxes! Be sure to mail enough in advance so things arrive before you do.

Tuition and Housing Checks: Tuition for all the Workshops should be in the mail to Lydia by now. If it isn't, you're probably best bringing it with you and handing off when you arrive. When we get this year's dorm housing prices (hopefully very soon), we'll send a request for those. (Locals not staying in the dorm and taking the Workshop for KU credit only need to give Lydia the $100 guest-author fee, unless it was waived as a partial scholarship.)

Campbell Conference: If you haven't yet registered for the Conference (and why wouldn't you take the opportunity to rub elbows with lots of authors and editors, when it's included in your Workshop registration?), do so ASAP - especially if you would like to register for the Awards banquet on Friday (you still need to pay for your meal).

Anything else? Let us know and I'll add it here!

I'm very much looking forward to meeting those of you I haven't yet met and seeing old friends again!

Best,Chris

PS: If you don’t already have a LiveJournal account - and why wouldn’t you? - you can sign up and get one for free by just going to the LJ main page. You can also use some other online profiles to post here.

Most of you have not yet submitted your registration materials to Lydia Ash ( lash@ku.edu ), who needs those ASAP. Very soon, we'll know the cost of the dorm rooms (if you need one); when we have that info, she'll send out a request for monies for your room, which you can pay for when you arrive. If you haven't already sent Lydia your check and registration materials via snail-mail, just email her the registration, and bring your check when you arrive. Don't forget that this year all attendees of the CSSF Science Fiction Summer program get free general admission to the Campbell Conference, so don't forget to register for that, too!

On May 20, I close the Workshop application window - I think we have an excellent variety of writers right now, but I might accept a few more attendees if they fit the mix. That's also when I'll ask you to submit your stories to the group: You have until May 24 - at the latest - to submit all three of your stories to this group. Please keep the total word-count under 30,000 words; if you're submitting novellas, you may submit two pieces (total) instead of three. No novel chapters, please; it's tough to workshop such in this format, and that's what Kij Johnson's Novel Workshop is for!

Clean up any mechanical issues before you submit your work, and use good manuscript format, as in this example.

When you get the stories, dig in right away! Give them a read, then give them a solid critique. Feel free to mark up typos, punctuation, and grammar issues, but for time's sake, please don't bring up those details during the discussion. Primarily, your goal is to identify the "Platonic ideal" of the story and then suggest ways to help the author achieve that ideal. Here's James Gunn's excellent introduction to the concept:

I'll post logistics and other information in my next message coming soon. Until then, write hard!

The Workshop is a great experience, intended especially for writers who have just begun to publish or who need that final bit of insight or skill to become a published writer. We work with all brands of speculative fiction, including horror, fantasy, magical realism, slipstream, speculative philosophy, hard SF, and so on, and it's a wonderful way to bond with fellow writers in a friendly and dedicated atmosphere. Plus we go out to dinner every night at a different restaurant in lovely downtown Lawrence, KS, watch lots of (usually bad) SF film, and write our brains out.

Starting last year, it's also available for graduate credit through the University of Kansas (ENGL 757). If you're a KU student, perfect! If not but you wish to take the Workshop for credit, be sure to contact us right away for how to make that happen. Most attendees, however, simply enroll as a normal, professional workshop rather than for credit.

Interested? We are open for applications right now through June 1, but sooner is better as we usually fill early. See the website for details.

The Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas has announced the winners of the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for best science fiction novel of 2007 and the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award for best short science fiction of 2007.

The awards will be presented at a ceremony on Friday, July 11, in conjunction with the center’s annual Campbell Conference and the annual meeting of the Science Fiction Research Association, which is taking place July 10-13 in Lawrence. This year the Campbell Conference offers “Teaching Science Fiction: A Portable Workshop.”

For the first time, there are two winners of the Sturgeon Award: “Finistera,” by David R. Moles, and “Tidelines,” by Elizabeth Bear. Interestingly, second place for the Sturgeon Award was also a tie: Gene Wolfe’s “Memorare,” and Ian R. MacLeod’s “The Master Miller's Tale.”

The Campbell award is one of the three major annual awards for science fiction. The award was created to honor the late editor of Astounding Science Fiction magazine (now called Analog). Many writers and scholars call Campbell, who edited the magazine from 1937 until his death in 1971, the father of modern science fiction.

The Sturgeon award was established in 1987 by James Gunn, professor emeritus of English and director of the Center for the Study of Science Fiction, and the heirs of Theodore Sturgeon as a memorial to one of the great short-story writers in a field distinguished by its short fiction.

The Science Fiction Research Association is the oldest professional organization for the study of science fiction and fantasy literature and film. This year’s conference is titled “Creating, Reading and Teaching Science Fiction.” Notable guest speakers include Karen Joy Fowler, author of “The Jane Austen Book Club”; Paul Kincaid, author of “What We Do When We Read Science Fiction”; and Joan Slonczewski, a professor at Kenyon College who uses science fiction to help teach biology. Breakout sessions explore varied topics such as “Reimagining the Future of the Past in Science Fiction Film and Television”; “Aliens, Animals and Environmentalism in Science Fiction”; and “Playing the Universe: Reading and Teaching Science Fiction With Video Games.”

There will be a lot of amazing material in this sale, partly because of how the KU Library has changed what they consider for the rare-books collection. Also duplicates of things they do consider important for the collection. Oh, and prices are obscenely low. So check it out!

Printers: Looks like there'll be three printers at least on our floor, so that should do it. There is a Kinko's downtown, and the dorm occasionally has a computer lab open (but don't rely on it).

Clothing: Dress is whatever you find comfy! Be aware that outside temps will likely be in the 90s most of the time, but might drop into the 60s at night or during storms. Sometimes, our dorm A/C has gone crazy and we've been cold, so bring a sweatshirt and long pants, just in case. If you're going to the Campbell Confernece Awards ceremony, many of the attendees use it as an opportunity to dress up. Up to you!